Blue Ribbon Brasserie

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New York likes to boast that it’s “the city that never sleeps,” and, yes, it’s true that there have always been late-night refuges for the hungry nocturnal animals. But these places have been (and still are) greasy spoons and other low-brow delights like the 24-hour Veselka and the Great New York Noodletown. When Bruce and Eric Bromberg opened Blue Ribbon Brasserie back in 1992 — the first restaurant in what would becoming a sprawling, multi-city group — they brought something new to even jaded, seen-it-all New York: A restaurant open until 4 a.m., with food cooked by chefs who’d trained in France and excellent service. If it had anything in common with the diner, it was its hodgepodge of a menu. Not fusion, but an assortment of unrelated dishes (from a particularly famous fried chicken to a pricy paella royale) the chefs loved. That the food was good and it was open so singularly late quickly made it into a destination among darling chefs like Mario Batali and Daniel Boulud. It might no longer be the place, but more than 20 years later it’s still attracting hopping crowds on Friday nights. Classics like the foie gras terrine and sweet and spicy catfish remain on-point, and there are few dishes more fun than the pupu platter with its ribs, shrimp, and more, arranged around a tiny, torch-size gas grill. — Chris Crowley

Sweet and spicy catfish, $29

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